Coffee-drier.



PATENTED JAN. v22 1907.

0. A. HEGE.

COFFEE DRIER. APPLICATION FILED APB..-27,1898.

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No. 841,964. I PATBNTED JAIRZZ, 1907.

G. A. HEGE. I I

COFFEE DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED APB..27, 1898.

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PATENTED JAN. 22, 1907.

HEGE.

COFFEE DRIER.

- APPLICATION FILED APR.27,1898.

fNo. 841,964.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ZJ n z enioz' I UNITED 1 I STATES PATENT OFFICE. CONSTANTINEIY-ALEXANDER 0F SALEM,NORTH-CAROLINA; AS- SIGNQRYTO'Q. A.. uE'eEa 00,01 SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA, A FIRM.

.' Cones-Quinlan.

To Jr/Z7, whom it may/concern. 1

Be it known that I, CoN-sTAN'rINE ALEX ANDER HEGE, a c'itizenof the United States, residing atSalem, inthe county of Forsyth and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cofcompanying drawings, and to the figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention'relates to-fcofiee-driers', and contemplates .a machine devised especially for drying coffee. In a machine for. drying coffee 1t 1s necese sary to provide against overheating the cof-' fee-berries and to provide a construction that will approach as nearly as possible to the method of dryingthe coffee-berries by solar heat; 'To dry the berries, however, by the solar heat is a-slow operation and dependent niany times upon the condition of the weather. Having in mind the advantages ,of solar heat for drying 'of coffee, I have "endeavored to devise a. machine which will give as'nearly as pos'siblethe results of solar-heat drying and at-thesame time render theoper atio-n more expeditious than'by depending upon the solar heat and in which the operation can be carried on-reg-ardless of the condition ofthe weather, car'e being taken, in devising the machine to provide against such a temperature .of the heat employed as would tend to roast the Cotiee-berries, which, if permitted, would be disastrous, as is well known to all pcrsgn'sjhaving to do withthe raising and drying of coffee-berries:

' With the above objects inview and to provide a simple and eflicientmachinelfor the purposes stated myinvention consists in the constructlonand in the .comblnatlon of parts 1 arranged in relation. to each other as hereinafter particularly specified and then sought to be specifically definedb'y the claims,reference beingv had to the accompanying draw in -s, forming a part hereof, and in which.

. igure 1 isa perspective of the coflee-dry ing-machine with a portion of the rotating cylinder and the top or'cover broken awayto Specification of Letters Patenti application had i fi za ses. serial No; 679.029.

. Pate'nted dam-22, 1.907. r

i show the interior ofthe cylinder. Figf2 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is an end view looking from the front end of the machine Fig 4 is an end view from the op.- posite end, showing a portion, of the overhanging cover in section. Fig, 5 is a vertical longitudinal "section. through the machine. Figsfi is a vertical cross section-through the same, and -Fig,.- 7 is a side elevation of the modified form of airexhauster. .FigpS is a perspective of a testing-tube.

' In the drawings the numeral preferably, of materialor'metal suitable. for high temperature without danger'of destruction by combustion. In the' upper portion of this casing is mounted a'cylinder 2, adaptedto rotate, said cylinder having atleast one, but preferably both, of its journals 3' made hollow. The walls of the cylinder may be perforate or imperforate, with theen Fi s. 1 and 5, the rims'being held in place by, ro s 6, which extend longitudinally through the cylinderand lie quite close tolthe inner surface of the cylinder, so as to serve not only as the tie-rods,- but also to'assist in preventing thejcoffee' from sliding uninterruptedly down the curved surface of the cylinder.

Vithinthe rotating cylinder are-secured 7 any desired number of lifters 7,*whi 'ch may be supported therein in any suitable manner, although it is referred to support thesame 1 designates f a casing 1n ade ofsuitable material and formed,

upon rods 8 w ch will extend across the interior of the cylinder, the lifters being secured Y theretogb'y means of cli -bolts 9 or otherwise. These rods 8 are tub ar and are secured in place by bolt-rods 10, which will extend through the tubular rods and the periphery of the cylinder and be held in place, by means .ofnuts 11,.'formcd'on the threaded heads of the rods 10. The tubular rods 8 thus not only constitute a support for the lifters 7, but also serve to brace the cylinder by reason of their ends bearing against the inside face of the periphery of the cylinden The lifters 7 are made L-shaped and applied in the man ,TOO

ner illustrated clearly in Fig. 6 of the drawings, so that in the rotation of the qylinder the lifters will not only serve to lift the coffee berries on the ascending side of the cylinder, but will also to a greater or less extent serve to hold quitea body of the berries upon the lifters asthesame rise with the rotation of the cylinder, and thus cause the berries to fall from the lifters gradually and in a coinparatively smallstream as the lifters ascend from the. lower to the upper portion of the I cylinder, the lifters continuing to retain and gradually discharge some ofthe coffee-berries until the lifters pass beyond the central line'- of the cylinder, as illustrated clearly in Fig. 6 of the drawings; By this constructionand arrangement the coifee-berries are subjected rims 5 to the hubs 3 of the cylinder across the,

in thin streams to the current of'heated air "drawn through the cylinder in the manner hereinafter specified and by reason whereof the berries aremore thoroughly dried and the moisture carried-off without injuring or impairing the qualities of the berries, either" as to dryness or color.

Curved radial arms 12 extend from the wire-netting l, and on the" eriphery of'one :or both-of the rims 5 are ormed teeth 13,

with which will mesh a pinion or pinions 14 on the endsof a shaft 1 5, said shaft outside of the casing 1 beingprovided with a wheel or pulley 16 for the application of power, eithera belt (notshown) passing around the the wheel or pulley 14, although other means may be employed for driving the shaft and rotating'the cylinder.

the casing '1, beneath the rotating cylinderQ, is-place'd a suitable heater 1? for heating the air in the casing 1 around the cyl-' inder 2, so as'to raise ,it to a temperature sufficient to dry the coffee-berries in the cylinder without liability of overheating or roasting the berries. If the products of com- 7 bustion were-permitted to come directly in contact with the walls of the cylinder 2, the heat would be too-intense and the. berries would be roasted or otherwise injured, and

hence the necessityof heating the air in the casing 1 without permitting the products of combustion to come into-direct contact with the drying-cylinder. -,If the. casing 1 were open, the heated air would either'escape and be Wasted or elsethere would be difficulty in raising it to the best temperature for securing 'the best results in the drying of the coffee.

If the cylinder 2 were stationary instead of rotatable, therev would still be danger of over-.

heating thecylinder, so as to injure the coffee, and if the coffee were permitted to slide down the sides of the cylinder without agitating it in its movement there would still be danger of overheating some of the berries .and of not imparting sufficient heat to the others; butby'having the chamber 1 closed and the heater 17 located therein below the cylinder, as described, and by providing for rotation of the cylinder and the lifting of the berries in the rotation thereof by means of the rods 6 lyingquit'e close to the surface of the cylinder and by reason of the lifters the severaldisadvantages enumerated are overcome,

and a drier is produced in which all the berries are subjected to a uniform temperature alike, and the heat is so regulated as to thorou'ghly and expeditiously dry the coffee-berries with out roasting or otherwise injuring the same: While I do not restrict myself to any particulankind or type of heaterto beilocated in! the casing or shell below the rotating cylinder, still the'type illustrated has been found very satisfactory for the purpose and-may be of the type in which a fire may be built within, the same, the heater in such case being provided with a door, 18 for feeding the fuel thereto, the door having. a damper 19 for regulating the draft, and the heater at the" opposite end beingprovided with an exitflue 20.

Instead of the coils or pipes at one end being connected to the header 22 and at-the other or forward end of the cylinder to another header 23, into which steam will be admitted from any suit-' able source through the inlet pi pe 24*. These steam-pipes will enable radiated heat to be employed for drying'thecoffee, the same 'as has been described in reference to the fire heater or furnace. 17.

' I "For the purpose of'creating a better circulation of the heated air through the rotating cylinder I locate said cylinder in its case so as to bring one end of the cylinder into con.-

tact with the inside face of one end of the outside case andso that the front end of the 24 and-throughthe perforated end of the cylinder to the interior of the latter and thence through the cylinder to the opposite perforated head, from whence it will escape laden with such moisture as it takes up from the cofi'ee-berries. The perforated or reticulated heads of the cylinderpermit the free ingress of hot air and quick escape of the same with the moisture evolved from the berries during the drying operation, and

hence the drying is rendered more expeditious than otherwise would be the case, and

the most desirable results are thus obtained.

employing the heater 1?, inwhich a fire is designed to be made or in con- .nection therewith, I mayemploy a heater consisting of a steam-heatingcoil 21, which may extend beneath the rotating cylinder,,'

In order to facilitate and more efi'ectuallv V remove the moistureextracted-from the cotfee-berries, I form what for convenience I willdes1gnate an exhaust-chamber atone end of the casepwhich incloses the rotating,

cylind er. This chamber is designated by the numeral 25 and maybe made by extending the upper part of the caseor its cover so that it will project beyond that head of the rotat,

ing cylinder, as indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. For the purpose of creating a suction through this. exhaust-chamber I provide what is practically an ejector and.

which is designated bythe numeral 26. This ejectorniay be, as illustrated, a continuation of "the smoke or exit flue, as illustrated in ,5 of the drawings, this ejector opening into the exhaust-flue 27, which is just above .and communicates with the exhaustwhamher 25. By this means I am enabled to cre-- conform to the shape thereofl'so as to fit closely to the same, as'will be obvious by an inspection of Fig. 5 of the drawings.

For the purpose of admit-ting fresh air to the inside ofthe casing 1 I provide openings 29 in one side of the casing, which openings are controlled by a slide-damper 30,- working in ways 31, saidd-omper being formed with} openings 32,' corresponding to the openings 29 in the side of-the casing. The damper is operated by a lever 33, and by ad usting the slide the openings therein may be brought a B into registerwith the openings 29 ni the es smg, s0.that the air can" pass thcrethrough into the interior of the casing. By adjustment ofthe slide-damper the size of the openings may be regulated, and by moving the damperfar enough the portions thereof between its openings may be brought opposite to the openings 29 in the casing, so as to entire'ly close the same. In this way the desired. amount. of air to be admitted can be readily controlled, [The air-inlets 29 in the side of the casing are located adjacent to the furnace or heater 17 andat apoint below the center line of said furnace or heater, so

that the'airin entering will come into con- .tact with theside of the heater, and thus be warmed before it passes up and into contact with the rotating cylinder, which carries'the coffee-berries. y I r The rotating cylinder 2 is provided in its periphery with. an opening 34 for the insertfion of the coffee-berries, said opening belng provided with a slide-cover 35, which is secured in its closed posltion by means of a bolt and nut 36, a slot being made in the slidecover 35, so that it may slide around the b lt 36 when-its nutis loosened for the 3111 ose of opening and closing the opening. 11 t 1e wall of the rotating I cylinder oppositethe opening ment of the slide-damper,- so as to open or -l close theop'enings 37in the wall thereof; In

discharging the coifee from the cylinder the slide-door 35 may be open at the sametin e that the openings 37 are open, so that any rect all the coffeeeberries to the openings 37, through which they may be discharged. The lower side of the casing 1 at the bottom of the casing may be formed or provided with the hinged door 42 to permit of the removal of the dried coffee-berries from the casing. The

5 I suitable implement may be passed through l the opening 34 and manipulated so as to- (iiupper portion of the casing 1 is provided with a removable cover 43,- which practically forms apart of the walls of the casing l and ,which, preferably, is made to conform to the shape of the rotating cylinder, as illustrated,

said cover or upper portion of the casing being out of contact with the walls of the rotat- IOO ' ng cylinder, so as to leave a space between] the cover and the cylinder for the circulation" of hot air, around the upper portion ofthe cylinder. 1 The cover 43 or upper. part ofthe' casing is provided in its front end with a slidedoor 44, which is provided with a thermometer 45 to indicate the temperature of the heated air around therotating cylinder. I also provide thermometers 46 at appropriate points in the side walls of the outside casing, so as to'indicate the temperature of the air at d-iflerent points inside the casing and around the rotating cylinder. The cover or upper portipn .43 of the casing is providedwith a slide-door 47 to allow access to the interior of the casing, and by adjusting this slide-cover so as to leave uncovered a portion pf the opening to which. it is applied some o'fthe heated air may be allowed to escape if the tempera-' tureshould rise above that which is desirable rice in the cylinder 2 to ascertain-if they have been sufficiently dried. I employ a hollow sampling oritesting tube 52, which is adapted to pass through one of the hollow ournals of V the cylinder and to receive coffee-berries in I the rotation of the cylinder, and in thatway it can be accurately. determined when. the berries have been sufficiently dried.

' nects with the interior ofthe rotating 'cylin stand 50 and be operated by means of a belt der. In this form the humeral 4'8 designates a tapering or fun nel shaped exhaust-chamber, which at its innercnd connnuni'cates with the interior of the rotating cylinder by being c nnected with the upper partial} the case 1, or rather withits cover 43, as-injd1cated in Fig. 7

This tapering eXhaust-chardber is flat on itsunderside and is formedwithcurved sides and top, which givesit the sha e in cross-sec tion of a section taken longitudlnally through 49 which may be supported upon a suitable connectingwith a pulley 5 1 or otherwise. This exhaust-chamber 48 will act in a similar man ner to the exhaust-chamher flfi, except thatinstead of using-an ejector, such as theescape flue 20. as in Fig. 5, Lus'e a fan 49, so as to exhaust the air from the interior of the cylinder as may be found necessary. In hoth form's of this feature of the invention,--however, it

may-be observed that there is used an eX-' haust-chamber and means connected therewith for the purpose of creating a regulated draft or exhaust through the same from the rotating cylinder.

It'may at this point als'obe observed that not only .does heated air pass through the rotating cylinder, but also that that the rotate ing cylinder is contained Within the, hot-air chamber, so that the heat is applied'to both the'inside and the outside of thecylinder, un der Which'construction most satisfactory results have been found to exist in the'drying ofcofi'ee-berries'; l

' The machine described is simple in conf structionand inexpensive to build and meets --all the requirements specified for the satisfactjory and expeditious drying of coileeberries withoutinjury thereto. The tern structi onvvhich l have ascertained from actual perature of-the airin the shell or casing. 1 can be ehsily regulated by controlling the heat generated in or evolved from the heater.

I have illustrated and described the conoperation of the machine to give most satisfactory results, and while the preferred details of construction are illustrated, still it is obvious that changes can be made in the various details withoutdeparting from the es sential features of the invention;

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, What I claim is' 1. In a coffee-drier, the rotatable cylinder formed with perforations or apertures for the escape of moistened air and having within it, longitudinally-extending lifting-bars located in proximity to the inner surface of the cylinder, inb'ombination With a shell or casing for heated air, said cylinder lying partly above and a losed heatenlgm cylinder and inclos e casing, a closed heater inclos' v lower part of said-shell, a rotatable. act-{11$ :iured cylinder above the heater an a funnel. The 0111361" .6Ild of this exhaust-v chamber communicates with a suitable .fan

i into the chamber occupi'e' cmgnpo'sed of the cylindrical body, re

lot the shell and the-opposite end set back.

andp tlybelovvtheupp l'. m o s a l elow the";;rotatinfg wlthinthe lower pong; tion of the chamber'into which'said rotating! cylinder projects. and adapted byfradiatio'r f 'ofheat from its Walls to heat theIair in age casing between said heater and rotating-15% inder, substantially as described. .2. A coffee-drier comprisi --.a-jshell.:.l2f 2d within'ithfi,

fittin' in s id casingpor s .ell

lying partlyfa ove and partly below the upperpor'tion, of isaidj shell, the lower portion of thejcglindergprojectin'g I by the aterll-l movable cover fitted to the leasing v around the portion of th irritating lying above-the shell and spaced latter, and a flue communication a between the chamber of the. shell; space between the cylinder and ove 1'- seas to, permit heated'air to pass from the c or. shell around the upper portion ofthe' c. f der, substantially as described.v f I 3. .ln a coffee drier, the combination a shell or casin .for heatedair and a heater" locatedin the ower portion. ofthe shell or casing and'adapted by heat radiatingfirorn .its surface. to heat the air in the casingor shell, of the rotatable cylinder fitting in sai' casing or shell above the heater there' lated or apertured .heads to said body,';r1 s. provided with teeth and having radiating arms fitaing 'across the aprtured or reticu lated heads of the body,-and tie rods eXtend-f: ing' longitudinally through the cylindrical body,and at their opposite ends. securedto said rirns. so as to clamp-the, body, thearrns and the heads to ethen-substantially'as and for the purposes described.

4. A coilee-drier, comprising a shell or casing," a closed heater located in the lowerpart thereof, a rotatable apertured cylinder fits ting in said casing or shell above the heater and lyingpartly above and partly below the upper portion of the shell and formedvrith inlet and exit openings for the' cofiee-berries, saidcylinder having one end close tooneend 5 from the adjacent end of the shellto forniQ a flue'ior the passage of heated'air and a cover fitted to the casing or shell around the portion of the rotating cylinder above the casing and spaced from the cylinder so asto permit heated air to. pass from the casing or smell to and around the upper portion of the-cylinder substantially as and for the purposes dcscribe'd. I

.5. .In afcofl ee-drier, the eonibinationf with' a shell or casing, and a heater located-illsaid shell or casing-and adaptedh radia oh of heat from its surface to heat t "'e'iair .i iigifsaid shell 'or casing, of a rotatable cylinder fittingin said casing or shell, and lifters s e--j cured inside of the rotating cylinder, sald lifters having-portions extending laterally therefrom along their a'edge'snearest the axis of, the cylinder and in the direction of rotation of the cylinder and at a distance from the'inner face of the cylinder so as to serve as a support for the berries, and per-j mit ,the latter to be gradually discharged,

therefrom in the rotation of the cylinder,

substantially as and for the'purposes described.

- therein, of a rotating cylinder in said casing 6. In a coffeedrier, the combination with a shell or casing, and a closed heaterlocated. 4

in said shell or casing for heating the air formed with apertures for the esca e of heated .air and moisture .therefrom,. ifters' securedinsideof the rotating cylinder, said lifters having portions extending laterally therefrom along their edges nearest the axis of the cylinder and in the direction of rotation of the cylinder and ata distance from.

the inner face of the cylinder, an exhaust-:- chamber in communication with the'shell or casing at one end of-the rotating cylinder to facilitate the escape of heated air and moisture from the cylinder, and means for regulating the inflow of fresh air into the. portion of thecasing below the cylindercontaining the heater, substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. In a coffee-drier, the combination of shell or casing, a closed heater located therein for heating the air in the-same, a rotating apertured cylinder insaid casing or shell and lying partly within and partly above the portion of the casing containing the closed heater, an exhaust-chamber in communication with the shell or casing at one end of the rotating cylinder, an ejector in communica-' tion with said exhaust-chamber to increase the exhaust through the exitrchamber, 'and a removable cover constituting the top portion of the casing and s aced from the upper projecting portion of t,e cylinder,substa'ntially as and for the purposes described.

8. In a oofiee-drier, the combination of. a shell or casing, a closed heater located thereinto heat the air in the same, a rotating.

apertured cylinderwithin the shell or casing and lying fpartly within and partly above the ortion'o the casing containing the closed eater, an exhaust-chamber in communication with the shell or casing at one end of the rotating cylinder, an ejector for increasing I the exhaust through the exhaust-chamber, a

valve for regulating theexhaust therefrom,-

and a removable cover constituting the top portion of the casing and spacedfrom' the upper projecting portion of the cylinder, substantially as and for the purposes described. 9. In acoflee-drier, the combination of a shell or casing, a closed heater thereinfor heating the air'in the same, arotating apertured cylinder located in said shell creasing and lying partly within and partly above the portion-ofthe casin {containing the closed eater, an exhaust-c amber in co1nmunica% tion'with the shell or casing at one end of the rotating cylinder and having an exit flue, a pipeleading fTOIflth heater in the lower part of the casing and in communication the exit-chamber, and a removable cover constituting the top portionof the casing and'spacedfrom the upper projecting ortion of the cylinder, subs tanti or the l'purposes described. 1.0. n a coffee-drier, the combination of a shell orcasing, a closed heater located therely as and in for heating the air inthe same, a rotating cylinder'in the shell or casing formed with openings in its heads for the admission and escape of heated air, said cylinder having one end close to one end of the shell or casing and the opposite end set back from the adjacent end of the shell or casing to form aflue for the passage of the heated air from beneath v the cylinder through said flue and into the cylinder, means at the opposite end of the' der inside the shell r casing having one end close'to one end of the shellor casing and the opposite end set back from the adjacent end of the shell or casing to form a flue, an exhaust chamber "communicating with the shell or casing at one end of the rotating cylinder, means for increasing the exhaust I through said exhaust-chamber, means for controlling til fie lating the in ow of fresh air into the portion of th'e cas'ing below the cylinder containing the heater, substantially as described.

' 12. In a coffee-drier; the combination of a shell or casing, a rotating cylinder located in said shell or casing, means for heating the air in the "casing around the cylinder, means forcOnductingheated air from. the casing to exhaust, and means for regu-.

vWithin the cylinder, means for regulating the exhaust of moistened air from the cylinder and also from the upper portion of the casing and means for exhausting .the air hrough the cylinder, substantially poses described.

as and for t e .pur-

13. Inacoffee drier, the combination of a shell or casing, a rotatingrapertured cylinder lyingpartly withingand partly above a portion ofthe shell or casing, a removable cover I constituting the top. portion'jof the ca.sing.-;

"La 11d: epjeed fit om the upper projecting pore, the casing below the cylinder, substantially ti'o'n- Of thecylinder, means for heating the as and for the p pg-it:in thecaeingjaround the cylinder, and 1 In testimony ereof I eflixfmy sigx leture eps 'iifor-iconducting heated air from the a in presence of two Witnesses.

5 cesinfiltc wi thinl the cylindel s0- thgiat heated CONSTANTINEALEXIANDER HEGEL airwi be applied both inside and ofitside of Witnesses:

t he'xioteting'cyljnder, and'meens fog-regulate 'f'W, T; SPAUGH,

the' ji;nflew' ffreshei r iut0 the poet zen of 7 M.-C.PAT TERSON.

urgose's described. 1 e 

